Photographers Stunned After World’s Oldest Photo Museum Announces $400 Shoot Fee

It’s arguably the home of photography in the United States, but the George Eastman Museum has introduced hefty fees for any professional photographer who wants to shoot there.

The grounds of the George Eastman Museum, based in Rochester, New York, are popular with local photographers who frequently take clients there for shoots.

But News10NBC reports that a recent argument involving a prom party has prompted the George Eastman Museum to formalize new charges for photography on its manicured grounds.

“In recent years, the popularity of our grounds as a setting for photographing special occasions has grown dramatically,” reads the updated policy.

“The changes in our policy are necessary because, on some days, hundreds of people come to our grounds to take photographs for senior pictures, proms and balls, graduations, engagements, and other special events. Further, many professional photographers who have not made prior arrangements are disrupting visitors’ enjoyment of the property.”

It means that professional photographers taking clients there must now obtain a pre-approved paid reservation. It costs $400 per hour on the grounds and $600 for a shoot in the mansion. Non-professional photography is still allowed there.

According to the News10NBC report, photographers recently witnessed an altercation between management and a prom party. Those present were made aware that a policy change would be enacted.

“That’s like when things kind of went south and they said that there were going to be some new rules put into place,” local photographer Logan Dingfield says.

But portrait photographer Erin Cummings tells News10NBC that $400 is too steep. “I thought it was a parody at first,” she says. “This is a total 180 from, I think, what most people have impressions of this museum.”

Both Cummings and Dingfield tell News10NBC that the $400 price is too high. “It just seems like it’s essentially telling the community, stay out, we don’t want you,” says Cummings.

Invoking the history of the site, which George Eastman himself built and lived in before it was turned into a museum in 1947 — making it the world’s oldest photography museum — Cummings says, “I think the father of popular photography would be a little sad about this choice.”

The George Eastman Museum tells News10NBC that it had been considering changing its photo policy for some time, but the recent prom party incident “highlighted the need to move forward.”

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.